Valentine’s Day! As with all holidays, I prefer to keep things simple in my classroom. I add seasonal books to the library; and I change out some materials that I switch regularly anyways to reflect the day- such as 1-10 counting, category sorting, polishing works. Things like that. I think children get so much holiday excitement outside of the classroom that our spaces should remain as stable and calm as possible. So let’s talk about some of my favourite low key Valentine’s day books and activities!!

BOOKS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

Just the sweetest illustrations.

“Love Is” by Diane Adams is one of my favourite books. It’s about a little girl and a duckling and their year together. It’s a touching story and it has the sweetest illustrations. While not explicitly about Valentine’s Day, it’s about love and it’s one I keep out at this time of the year.

Such a fun book

“Rhyme Time Valentine” by Nancy Poydar is a Valentine’s Day specific book about a little girl who adores the holiday and has big plans for the day. The illustrations are lovely, and it’s a fun read. My students have always enjoyed this book and it’s worth tracking down a used copy (it was originally published in 2002).

Anne Rockwell is pretty much always great and this doesn’t disappoint

“Valentine’s Day” by Anne Rockwell is a really sweet story about a class writing Valentine’s for a classmate who has moved. It’s colourful and it’s always been a hit for a Valentine read aloud.

One of my absolute favourites

“Love” by Matt de la Peña was one of my favourite books of last year. A touching and gorgeously done treatise on love in its many different forms. I adore this book. It isn’t all happy- love can look like the adults in your life hiding a tv screen showing bad news- but it’s perfection.

My favourite Valentine’s book

“Secret Valentine” by Catherine Stock is another older book (this one from 1991) but it’s probably my favourite Valentine-specific book. It’s very simple, with only a few words per page, and it’s one that children who are starting to read can often begin decoding it themselves. It’s about a little girl who wants to write cards for the people in her life. I love this book and it always is a popular choice in my classroom.

CLASSROOM MATERIALS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

Now let’s talk Valentine’s activities and low key ways to bring the holiday into the classroom.

I love having a simple sorting activity out on the shelf for younger children. This is a fun one I’ve enjoyed in my class because the younger ones sort this very simple heart activity by sight, while older children are invited to use a blindfold and to sort it sensorially. The hearts here are felt, stone and metal work, so they are easy to discriminate by touch. (The blindfold was made by one of my favourite makers, and the lady who makes all of Noora’s bonnets- Tammy from eddie & sofia).

I found this heart box on Etsy forever ago. I know these are clip cards but I’ve always used stones to mark the number instead.

One of the easiest ways I’ve found to change out seasonal and holiday works are with the printable packs from Trillium Montessori. I like keeping my shelves consistent and as her preschool packs all follow the same pattern, my students enjoy seeing the changes each month. This set, the Valentine’s vehicle one, is just a delight and my students love it. The 0-10 clip cards are a perpetual favourite in my math area and these vehicle ones are one of the most popular. Each printable pack also comes with three sorting activities- colour sorting, size sorting and category sorting- you can see Noora here using the size sort. I have a preliminary language shelf with these activities on year round and they’re always in use- they are popular lessons for older children to give younger children. While I don’t have pictures of it all, the packs also include cutting strips and often other matching activities like silhouettes and pictures.

Size sorting is a great pre-language activity. I have a version of this (along with colour sorting and category sorting) on a small early language shelf all year round. And I also use them at home with Noora.

Another set of materials that Trillium makes that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day is this super cute middle vowel sorting activity. I love that includes two versions to adjust the challenge depending on your students. There’s a set of words that are printed on the same candies that fill each jar, making it easy to match up the words to the jars. For a bigger challenge, there’s image cards that don’t have the word and aren’t printed on the candy, so it’s a complete reading activity and not a visual matching one. Are they perfectly pure Montessori? Nope. But I adore these jars, and I find that bringing in lovely and fun extensions and variations helps to attract the children. They have been a wild hit every year when I put them out.

This is the simpler version, with the words printed on the corresponding sweets.

This is the more challenging version, with no pictures to match to the jars.

Another favourite activity I have that I switch out with regularity is my I Spy activity. I have many language objects in the classroom and several different activities that use them. For my I Spy tray, I use this lovely mat and spyglass from My Peaceful Classroom and change out the materials from time to time to reflect holidays, themes and seasons. I like to keep the objects for this particular activity limited. This set of objects was also from My Peaceful Classroom, though I use objects from all different sources throughout the year.

My absolute favourite part of this activity is the vintage wooden spool used as a spyglass. Children adore holding it up to their eye and looking through it to ‘spy’ an object on that mat. It is an absolutely magical addition to a standard classroom material.

This is how I have my ‘I Spy’ activity set up on my shelf.

The vintage spool ‘spyglass’

There is something just magical about looking through the spyglass that makes this activity so exciting for children.

There you have it- some of my favourite low key Valentine’s activities. There are many others you can add to your shelves, and that I have throughout the years. Pin-pushing heart and rose shapes is always fun. A collage or pasting activity with red and pink scraps and paper is always classic. I have a broken heart counting activity that I usually bring out- hot pink hearts cut in jagged halves, one with the number and one with dots on them for a quantity/symbol matching activity. It’s somewhere buried in my storage, or else I would have a photo for you. I also add Valentine’s Day stickers and phrases to our year round card making activity.

Remember that holidays don’t have to take over your classroom! They can be chill and low key and done in a way that doesn’t overwhelm your space or your students.

Lunar, or Chinese, New Year is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world. It is celebrated, in fact, by a fifth of the world’s population. And not just in China- anywhere there is large Chinese population. It is marked with parades, gatherings and celebrations across the globe. Here in Vancouver, where I live, it’s one of the big holidays for schools. Nearly thirty percent of my city’s population are ethnically Chinese, making this holiday one that pretty much all of my students- regardless of race- know.

So. With a holiday as culturally significant (and not just to Chinese folks- Lunar New Year celebrations in Korea, Vietnam and Tibet were and are strongly influenced by CNY), one would expect lots of easily accessible materials and stories that are culturally appropriate right? Well. Not so much.

So I’ve rounded up some of my favourite #ownvoices Chinese New Year books for y’all- CNY this year starts on February 5th, so you have lots of time to acquire them. And I have included links to the very few printables I have found that I love. So let’s talk about how we can bring this hugely important holiday into our classrooms.

BOOKS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

We know I love books. So I’m just going to post a few favourites, but my full list can be found here.

Grace Lin is one of my favourite authors ever. Her books are colourful, sweet, and I am fairly sure I own everything the woman has ever written. Her now classic “Bringing in the New Year” is a staple in my home and my classroom and has been for year

“This Next New Year” by Janet S. Wong is a wonderful book about a half Chinese, half Korean boy and how he and his family and friends celebrate. It’s great and I love that she includes that the child’s non-Chinese friends celebrate with him and their neighbours.

This next one has some of my favourite illustrations and is a bit of a heavier story, though small children won’t necessarily pick up on that. In '“A New Year’s Reunion” by Yu-Li-Qiong and Zhu Cheng-Liang, a young girl is eagerly awaiting her father’s return- he is a migrant worker and only is able to come home once a year, for New Years. The book follows their time together back home and is a sweet and compelling story that I always enjoy. The brief note at the end of the book reminds us that there are over 100 million migrant workers in China (and more abroad) who are only able to see their families once a year. Big conversations can happen around this book. I love it.

As I mentioned earlier- other Asian cultures also celebrate the Lunar New Year, and “New Clothes for New Year’s Day” by Hyun-Joo Bae is about a young Korean girl getting dressed in her brand new clothes and it is always, without fail, a hit with my students. It’s colourful, and fun to read. There’s an afterword with explanations of Korean Lunar New Year and traditional Korean dress, and it’s just a delight all around. And the illustrations are stunning.

Finally- what book list for Lunar New Year would be complete without a book featuring the story of the zodiac? “The Race for the Chinese Zodiac” by Gabrielle Wang is my favourite version of this story but there are many great options. I adore the illustrations in this one and the story is simple enough for the youngest of my students without boring the older ones. It’s great.

Check out these titles and the rest of my Lunar New Year book list in my Amazon store and please let me know what favourites of yours I’m missing!

CLASSROOM MATERIALS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

Now- onto classroom materials. It is super easy for teachers- especially white teachers- to fall into lessons that are culturally insensitive, inaccurate and inappropriate when it comes to non-white, non-Christian holidays. I recognize that. None of the materials I’ll be talking about in this post are created by Chinese folks- and I will update this post if and when I find Montessori-friendly materials made by people with Chinese heritage. But the materials are lovely, designed with thought and care, and can be used in a classroom appropriately. So yay!

First up- Seemi from Trillium Montessori has an adorable Chinese New Year Preschool Pack. Like nearly all of her preschool packs, it includes colour sorting, size sorting, categories sorting, as well as number clip cards, cutting strips and more. The materials here are focused on the animals of the zodiac- which is probably why it is so consistently popular in my classroom. The animal zodiac is just always fun for children.

I love that the Trillium pack focuses on the animals of the zodiac. It’s a great way to build vocabulary and my students have always love the what is it/who am I cards?

The number clip cards from Trillium are a perpetual favourite in my classroom. I’ve always used stones as markers rather than clips.

Next- this isn’t a Montessori material as such. But it’s great. The Safari Chinese Zodiac Toob has larger figures than many of their sets and last year I used them in a matching activity with postcards that had images of the zodiac animals in papercut- similar to these here. These animals can be used for many different matching activities, including with several card sets from the amazing and lovely Montessori Inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack from my pal Renae at Every Star is Different.

I love these animals.

And finally- let’s go through this pack of Renae’s. Because it’s great.

The Montessori-Inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack

It’s a big one. Ninety-two pages of activities you can use every year because it isn’t specific to this year (which will be the year of the pig, fyi.)

There are three part cards for a variety of things- including animals of the zodiac (with a set of the Chinese symbol for the animal name and a black and white graphic clipart set that I think pairs beautifully with the Safari Toob listed above); foods traditionally eaten during CNY (these cards make me very hungry, I’m not going to lie); blossoms and fruits that are symbolic and important to New Year; and more. All of these also have a separate version with definition cards- perfect for those who may not know a Chinese dish or why kumquats are important (they are a symbol of good luck and small kumquat potted trees are often given as gifts during the New Year celebrations).

The three part cards for the animals and Chinese symbols are great and just perfect for making your own mix and match set with each other, photos of animals, the Safari toob, whatever!

The food cards in every set Renae makes always make me very hungry. One more reason to be grateful I live in Vancouver and can partake in delicious Chinese dishes twenty four hours a day if I wanted. The food, blossoms, symbols of CNY and fruit cards all also have definition cards to go with them or just for a teacher to research themselves before sharing with a class.

I love that there are so many cards that could really be used anytime. While all of the fruits and blossoms have significance at NY in particular, you could just have them for units on plants, food, China, etc., any time of year.

One of my favourite activities in this set is a timeline of the Lunar New Year that begins with all the cleaning and prep done prior to the first day, and covers every day of the fifteen day celebration. While many folks only celebrate the first four days with time off work and major festivities, the traditions vary widely across China and in Chinese expat communities- some celebrate some of the days, some the first four, a few in the middle, and then the last, some all fifteen. When I return to the classroom, I’ll be backing this timeline on red cardstock and inviting my students to pick out the days their families celebrate.

Won’t this be fun mounted and used as a timeline for students to look at and compare family traditions?

There are half sheets near the end of the bundle that I’ll be binding into a booklet that very respectfully and thoughtfully describe the Chinese religious and spiritual beliefs that form the basis of many of the New Year celebrations. There are pages for Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and the folk religions of ancient China, which all of the other native belief systems mentioned build upon.

Renae puts so much research into her bundles, and they are always culturally sensitive, accurate and respectful of different belief systems.

There’s so much in this bundle and I haven't even printed half of it to show you. There are math cards and writing cards- I often use Renae’s writing strip cards in my class, if you laminate and give the children a dry erase marker, they are wonderful for writing practice and easy to switch out for various holidays and themes. It’s so much and given the very sparse offerings online for Chinese New Year materials, I was so thrilled when she announced she was making this set. And for a few more days (until Tuesday the 29th at midnight), it’s available for only $6.99. So I’d jump on it, pals. You have plenty of time to prep cards before festivities begin on February 5th.

OTHER CLASSROOM IDEAS

Last year, for a fun vocabulary lesson for the Year of the Dog, I made a set of cards of Chinese dog breeds. The shar pei, pug, pekingnese, shih Tzu, chow chow and others. It was a wild success, as kids inevitably love animal cards- and one that was easy as heck to make. This year is the year of the pig and it wouldn’t be hard to whip up a set of cards of different breeds of pigs. It’s so easy to introduce new vocabulary this way- and my students loved talking about the dogs they recognized from the neighbourhood and the ones they didn’t. (One child called the pekingnese a fluffy footstool and proceeded to beg her mother for one for the following two weeks.)

For older students, I know elementary guides who have had children do projects and research into the difference between the Lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar. Or research how different communities- within and outside of China- celebrate, as there are dozens of regional differences. One upper EL guide I know had several students who organized going outs to local Chinese community groups to experience different parts of the holiday with different families.

And finally- always my favourite. If you have students in your classroom whose families celebrate Chinese New Year, invite them in. Invite parents or grandparents or other caregivers in to share their personal family traditions, tell stories and share their culture. That is, hands down, the best way to bring other traditions and cultures into your classroom. By making it a safe and welcoming space for all.

Let’s talk about representation. Again. I know. Sometimes it seems like representation is all I talk about, and I’m sure sometimes I sound like a broken record. But representation matters and not just in numbers. If you’ve done a pure numbers game and ensured that well over half the stories in your classroom or home feature children from marginalized communities- cool. That’s a start. But we also need to look at the kind of books we are sharing. The kind of representation being shown.

If all (or even most) of the books you have featuring Black characters are stories of the civil rights movements and oppression, that’s a problem. If all (or even most) of the books you have featuring queer folks are stories that are about queer folks having to overcome bigotry at school or home, that’s a problem. If all (or even most) of the books you have featuring indigenous folks revolve around a mythologized, monolithic past, that’s a problem. And so on. And so on.

The books we share with the children in our lives matter. What does it tell a child when the only books they see themselves in are stories of being othered, of oppression, of trauma? What does it tell a child when the only children they see in stories that are just about everyday life are ones that do not look like them? And what does it tell children who are of the majority about the world when the stories they see show them as having endless possibilities while those from marginalized communities only seem to appear in books that tokenize them?

The choices we have in books are getting better, day by day and year by year. I have dozens of books featuring children of colour, that are about kids just being kids. But when it comes to books about my own community, it gets harder to find. Queer kids books are very much still white, and very much still based in “after school special” narratives. Queer kid is different and other characters need to learn to accept them; stories designed to teach folks to tolerate diversity rather than embrace it. And almost always, which very few exceptions, featuring white queers. Forgetting that we come in all colours.

But- enter Flamingo Rampant. The books they put out are different. Books that feature queer children and families just being families- having baby showers and celebrating Ramadan (a queer kids book about Eid celebrations, people. That’s a thing that exists in our world now, thanks to Flamingo Rampant.) Trans parents just shown as parents, trans kids just being kids. ABC books (Noora’s favourite book is ‘M is for Mustache: A Pride ABC”.) Just joyful, exuberant, and charming books that show queer folks just being human. Without any ‘after school special’ oppression narratives thrown in.

Even more amazing- all of their books are #ownvoices stories. Their books are written by people who have lived the cultural experiences they write about. I’ve never seen a queer Muslim picture book before they published “Moondragon in the Mosque Dragon”. The books Flamingo Rampant have put out feature queer folks from an incredible array of backgrounds- much like queer folks in the real world. And that’s an incredible thing.

And now they have a new Kickstarter out. This new set of six books will include a book of colours, a book of poetry, a space adventure and more. I own every single book Flamingo Rampant has put out over the years, and obviously I’m backing this set too. Every book they publish is a breath of fresh air. And if my adult, white, raised in a liberal, accepting bubble, queer ass feels relief and gratitude at seeing books like theirs- imagine what a child who has never seen themselves or their families in stories will feel.

Representation matters. If you care at all about making sure queer children get to see themselves and their families in stories in healthy, positive and everyday ways, back this Kickstarter. If you can afford it- back for two sets and donate one to your school or local library. If you don’t have their previous books, there’s a backer level for that too. There are fourteen days left for the Discovery set to be funded. Go help make it happen, friends.

This is a big one. A loaded topic, and one that even the most open and inclusive teachers have a problem with. Christmas and how we celebrate that in the classroom. As usual here at Diamond, I would like us to take a few minutes to consider whose voices and experiences we are amplifying, who we are supporting in our spaces, and who we are leaving unheard or unrepresented. So let’s chat.

Christmas is perhaps the most widely celebrated and obsessed over and popular holiday in schools across Canada and America. I have yet to see a single school (with the exceptions of an Islamic school and a Jewish school that I’ve observed at) that does not acknowledge its existence and celebrate it in some way. Which, in and of itself, is not a problem. Christmas is something children are familiar with, many of our students celebrate it, and absolutely talk of Christmas is culturally relevant for a large chunk of our families.

But- what does it tell our children when our classrooms become awash with red and green on December first? What message are we sending when our ‘winter’ theme really means ‘Christmas’? Whose voices and culture are we amplifying when we have a ‘winter/December’ shelf full of Christmas transferring and language cards and puzzles? What are we telling families when we make ‘holiday’ cards to be sent home that say ‘Merry Christmas’?

Thinking critically about the messages we send to our students is important. Taking stock of who is being represented in our classrooms is important.

I want to be clear here- de-centring Christmas in your classroom does not mean we don’t acknowledge Christmas. It doesn’t mean we talk about any number of other holidays and leave Christmas out entirely. It doesn’t mean we can’t have Christmas themed language cards or materials. It does mean we should take a step back, pause and truly think about who is being represented and who is being excluded and doing our best to challenge that.

Instead of requiring students to make Christmas cards to send home, which is uncomfortable for families who don’t celebrate Christmas- how about you set up a generic card-making activity? Have it on your shelf, and the children who want to make a card have that ability. I have card making year round with a booklet of sample phrases to copy- hope you feel better; i love you; just want to say hi; etc. At certain times of year I add other phrases- Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Eid Mubarak, Happy Easter, etc. Simple, inclusive and entirely optional.

Instead of doing a ‘winter’ concert with songs that are clearly Christmas-themed (Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman included- just because these songs are secular doesn’t make them less ‘Christmas-y’), why can’t there just be an end of year gathering? Samples of what the children have been working on throughout the first half of the year on display, and a time for parents, staff and children to connect- no holiday decorations necessary.

Instead of a shelf full of red and green transferring- how about just one? I have a Christmas themed transfer work. Many of us do. But imagine what a student who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, who isn’t even Christian, would feel walking into their classroom December first and seeing the entire transferring shelf transformed into red and green works? Not a single work available that doesn’t represent Christmas. What does that tell that student? What does that say about the dominant narrative in their school and what we deem worthy of amplifying?

Instead of Christmas crafts- how about just winter ones? I have a snow globe/snowflake collage I pull out every year. No Christmas imagery, it uses glitter, and it’s always a hit. Do we need to do footprint reindeer and fingerprint Christmas lights? Probably not. What is it saying to our students when the ‘holiday’ crafts we do all centre one holiday in particular?

Right now, I have one Christmas transfer work (tiny light bulbs into a silicone lightbulb ice cube tray type thing) out. I have the card making activity I have year round as previously mentioned. I have a one to ten tree and ornament counting activity out alongside a Hanukkah counting activity. I have nomenclature cards for the Nutcracker out alongside Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and penguin species cards (we’re talking about Antarctica this month). And that’s it. No classroom decor. No Christmas songs. No Santa crafts. My classroom looks pretty much identical to how it does any other time of year. And what a relief that is- to both myself and to my families, especially those who don’t celebrate Christmas.

I’d love to hear ways you try to de-centre Christmas in your classrooms, and what that looks like for you. Share below!

Hey friends! I thought I’d start a new feature, maybe once a month or so, of makers and materials I love, that I trust to use in my classroom, and in my home, and I thought the best way to kick this off would be with my good friend Renae, her company Every Star Is Different, and their newest printable bundle about holidays around the world.

Renae is an amazing human. And while her and I live completely different lives, with completely different faiths and experiences and traditions- our core values are the same. Renae is unbelievably kind, loving, accepting and wants to teach her children about cultures and traditions that don’t just include her own religion. I can’t tell y’all how much I respect and love Renae, and why I was so excited when she said she was making this set.

Like I’ve said (ad nauseam, I’m sure) - representation matters. And it’s true not just of books. It matters in the lessons we teach, the information we impart to our students, and the ways we discuss things like holidays. Things like three part cards, and booklets, and other classroom materials matter. So I’m totally thrilled to have this massive bundle to share with y’all.

Renae’s Holidays Around The World Bundle is amazing. It’s nearly 500- yup, you read that right- pages of materials to use with your children or students covering Christmas (and not only North American Christmas), winter solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, and Ramadan. I have just spent the better part of two days printing and prepping some things to show y’all some previews of the amazingness in this bundle.

Just some of the Diwali materials included!

We’ll start with Diwali (which goes until Friday, so you could, if you act now, get all this stuff and have some relevant materials out!!)- which I printed as soon as I got my copy so that I could have some stuff out for this week in class. My students loved the diya printable to decorate with stickers and glitter. I made some of the cards into a booklet to tell the story of Diwali. There are cards talking about symbols of Diwali, the days of Diwali, and my personal favourite, which just makes me hungry- some nomenclature cards of Indian desserts. Delicious.

Only some of the Hanukkah materials. This pack is full of awesomeness.

There’s a pack for Hanukkah- (Dec 2nd-10th this year) which is wonderful. Lots of nomenclature cards, including things like sufganiyot, oil, gelt, etc. The booklet for the story of the first Hanukkah is accurate and lovely and I’ll definitely be using it with Noora.

There are materials to talk about the winter solstice, including descriptions of different celebrations all over the world.

Christmas figures from around the world.

A lot of these materials make me hungry.

Materials for Christmas around the world include some lovely cards of different Christmas figures- Sinterklaas, Befana, etc. I really love these cards. And there’s a fabulous set of Christmas desserts and country flag matching. I’m surprised at how many materials in this bundle make me hungry, but there ya go.

There’s a religious Christmas pack, and while I’m not religious, as we all know, even I found things to love in this pack. There’s a lovely art sorting work of different styles of paintings that have to do with the nativity, the baby Jesus and the Madonna. It’s a great set, and as much of traditional European art has had inspiration from Christianity, it’s totally usable in even secular settings. This pack also includes cards of animals at the manger, the story of Christ’s birth- which I’ll be making into a booklet for my nephew, whose parents are religious- and a set of cards to go along with Handel’s Messiah.

The Christmas language bundle is great and has cards split into pink, blue and green categories to go with a common Montessori language program. There are cards that you can use to have the student find the beginning sound; matching cards to images; tracing words; and more. It’s super comprehensive and I know my students will enjoy these language materials in December.

The Christmas botany pack has lovely cards, and blackline masters, for various plants associated with Christmas. This set will get a lot of use in my class, I’m sure.

This is the set I’m super excited about- because I get to learn too. I have never, here in Vancouver, met anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa, and I don’t know much about the holiday. The Kwanzaa pack (Kwanzaa starts on Dec. 26th) is amazing and has cards to explain the symbols and themes of each of the seven days; cards featuring important people in African-American history; patterns and fabric from Africa; and so much more. I love all the sets in this bundle but wow, is the Kwanzaa one amazing.

The Ramadan set is fabulous.

The set for Ramadan (which starts May 5th in 2019) is wonderful. There’s really comprehensive cards of symbols and things to do with Islam; a lovely easy sorting set (who fasts and who doesn’t); and a phases of the moon booklet. I’m really excited for this set. I also really appreciated that the depictions of Muslims in this pack are diverse- so many times we only see Muslims being shown as Arab folks, when Muslims are found all over the world and of all skin tones. It was a nice touch to an already lovely set- representation matters, friends!

Finally, the bundle comes with two bonus packs- one on gingerbread activities, and one on the Nutcracker. The gingerbread one has one of the cutest sequencing materials I’ve ever seen (and again- what’s with the materials in this bundle making me hungry??) and the Nutcracker pack has materials i could keep on my shelves year round. The ballerina cards I’m going to put on my movement shelf this week, and the nut nomenclature cards are great, especially for a classroom where you aren’t allowed nuts!

Seriously, friends. I’ve never done a blog post like this. You know I don’t recommend things like this unless I mean it. Renae and her husband have done their research. This bundle is respectful, embracing of difference, well thought out, and all can be used in Montessori environments. I’ll be using so much in my own classroom and with Noora. Remember that those of us who are tasked with teaching and raising the next generation have so much fear and hate to undo and fight. This bundle is great- and teaching children about cultures outside of their own is, in today’s climate, definitely a revolutionary act.

And for now, until Tuesday at 11:59PM, this bundle is 75% off. For just the next few days, it’s available for $19.99. That’s a ridiculous deal, for nearly 500 pages of amazing materials to use with your students and children. Get yours HERE (using my delightful affiliate link) and let me know what you think of this bundle. I love mine.

Hello, friends! It’s been a couple weeks since the last Queer Kids Book Club, and I’m going to get better at this scheduling and writing and blogging thing one day, I swear. But this book is worth the wait- it’s lovely and one of my favourites and not one I see too often.

“The Boy & The Bindi” is a children’s book by Canadian author, musician and visual artist Vivek Shraya. And I love it for many reasons but first and foremost- let’s talk about representation. Representation matters, a phrase I use hundreds and probably thousands of times on my Facebook and Instagram and here. And while it’s amazing that we have so many children’s books today that feature LGBT children and families- we need to wrestle with the fact that the vast majority of queer kids books (like all children’s books) feature white folks.

Queer black, indigenous and people of colour (QBIPOC) exist- obviously. But looking at the media representation of queers, you wouldn’t know that. The public face of queerness skews incredibly white. Representation for any child of colour who exists anywhere on the LGBT spectrum is super hard to come by. Which is why I love this book.

Written by a trans woman of colour, “The Boy & The Bindi” is an #ownvoices book (own voices meaning that the author has lived experience of what they are writing about- ie, books about queers written by queers, books about Indian culture written by Indian authors rather than white ones, etc.) and one that features a little boy who wants to wear a bindi just like his mum.

In the story, the child wants know what his mother’s bindi is and she tells him she wears it to stay safe, true, and to be reminded of where she’s from. When her child asks if he can wear one too, the mother reacts positively, and tells her child of course. One of the many things i like about this book is how the story doesn’t involve the gender-non-conforming child experiencing bullying or oppression. His mum is loving and kind, accepts him wanting to wear a bindi (traditionally worn by women) and the children at school are curious, rather than bullies. Too often stories involving queer children hinge on the oppression narrative- a child has to learn to be true to themselves despite the bullying and fear of the outside world. When every story about someone who is like you is centred in oppression and trauma, what message does that give?

The child in the story puts on the bindi his mother gives him, and it makes him feel safe, connected and himself. It’s a beautiful story, and in a world where queer children of colour are nearly never represented in media, “The Boy & The Bindi” is an incredible addition to children’s literature. Children- of all colours, genders, orientations- deserve to see themselves in stories. This story provides a mirror for children who rarely get one in books.

Above all, right now, non-binary and trans folks in the United States (and elsewhere) are under attack. Now- more than ever before- it is important to make sure any children in your homes and schools see positive representation of gender non-conformity, of trans folks, of non-binary people. While of course children who are any of those things deserve to see themselves in stories, cis children need to see stories that normalize non-cis folks. With the rhetoric of hate ramping up and up and up, it is up to us as educators and parents to teach children that all gender expressions are valid and worthy. “Boy & The Bindi” is a charming, sweet and loving story that embraces children outside of the gender binary and it should have a place on every bookshelf.

Halloween! One of the most child-centred and fun ‘holidays’ out there, Halloween season brings about so many fun stories and books to share with children. I love Halloween, I love ghost stories and I love books, so obviously this time of year is like, 100% Ashley-approved.

But. There’s always a but. Children’s books- we all know- are white as heck. The majority of children’s books feature white (usually male) protagonists. And when you’re talking about books to do with specific holidays or themes- that number goes up even more (this I base entirely on anecdotal evidence I’ve compiled over a decade of seriously looking at and collecting children’s books, as I’ve never seen a study that focuses on children’s books for specific holidays. Here’s one of the many, many studies on how white children’s literature is overall.)

We know that representation matters. We know that it matters for black and brown children to see themselves in media. We know it matters for white children to see black and brown children in media. And we know that holidays and how we represent and talk about them in classrooms matters. So when children are seeing holiday stories- stories about days our culture has deemed important, stories about cultural touchstones we’re all supposed to related to, stories about children having fun and celebrating significant days- that feature only (or primarily) white children, that’s a problem.

In the spirit of diversifying children’s libraries and school bookshelves everywhere- here’s a list of some of my favourite Halloween books. Most of them feature children of the global majority.

“Flashlight Night” by Matt Forrest Esenwine is a fun, rollicking, spooky romp following three children traipsing around their backyard at night with a flashlight. It’s an ode to childhood imagination and while it isn’t Halloween specific- it’s one that features monsters and spookiness and fits in well with the spirit of the season.

“A Tiger Called Tomás” by Charlotte Zolotow is an absolute classic for many reasons. This recently released new edition of it is gorgeous and features Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout. Following a little boy who is anxious about having just moved, it’s sweet, is totally relatable for any child who has ever felt like the odd one out, and is lovely.

“Behind the Mask” by Yangsook Choi is one of my favourite Halloween stories. A little boy decides to be his grandfather for Halloween, and his friends all scoff at the idea- without knowing that his grandfather was a traditional Korean mask dancer. It’s a lovely story that blends two cultures- something children of immigrant parents will recognize and connect with- and it’s beautifully illustrated.

“Monster Trouble” by Lane Fredrickson is hilarious and features one of the best named protagonists in children’s literature- Winifred Schnitzel. A clever little girl who tries to stop the neighbourhood monsters from keeping her up at all hours, it’s smart, funny and not so scary at all. While it isn’t Halloween specific, it definitely fits the season.

“Witches” by Cheryl Christian is a colourful, rhyming romp that is an absolute joy to read aloud. It features children of all colours, and even includes children with physical disabilities- without drawing attention to that fact; the children in chairs are just there, participating in trick or treating with the rest. It’s fun, colourful and a delight with so much casual diversity in its pages that I can’t help but love it.

Finally, while these three stories have nothing specifically diverse or even human about them- “Stumpkin” by Lucy Ruth Cummins, “Pumpkin Soup” by Helen Cooper and “The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin” by Joe Troiano- they top my list of favourite pumpkin related stories and all actually feature good messages of inclusion, kindness, and respecting and embracing differences. All three are favourites in my classroom- including “Stumpkin”, which I only discovered last week!

There you have it. Some of my favourite Halloween themed picture books. All I’ve used in my class, all I love personally, and I hope you find some new favourites from this list! And if you have other inclusive Halloween books to share, I’d love to hear about them!

I’d like to get back into blogging and I thought I’d start with an easy, once a week type deal where I focus on specific books I love. And I realized that there are many weekly book blogs, which are great, and I love, but I haven’t seen one focused specifically on books that feature queer kids or families. So I’m going to start one. Welcome! Let’s jump right in, shall we?

I hope all of you have seen this book already. Julián Is A Mermaid by Jessica Love came out this summer and quickly joined my list of favourites- not just queer books. Any books. It’s beautiful, heartfelt, endearing and charming. Literally all of those things, on every page.

The entire book is fully of dreamy, beautiful illustrations I can’t get enough of.

This perfect story follows Julián, who loves mermaids, and his abuela. He has beautiful dreams and fantasies of being a mermaid, and finally decides to take down a curtain in his abuela’s house to wrap around himself and make into a tail. Instead of being angry (though the expression on her face when she discovers him adds the absolute perfect amount of kid tension!) she takes him to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. It is one of the most wholesome books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

See? Perfect level of kid tension.

So many- so, so, so many- books that feature children who are gender non-conforming focus on overcoming oppression. The child who is non-binary, trans or gender non-conforming in these stories often deals with bullying, family that is unsupportive, at least at first, and the stories usually focus on overcoming that. This one does not. This is about a little boy who wants to be a fabulous mermaid and his abuela who loves him. It is exuberant, radiates pure love and is just a total treat.

I cannot overstate how gorgeous this book is.

Children- no matter how they present, no matter their gender identity- deserve to see themselves in books that show their joy. Not every book for queer kids needs to be (or should be, frankly) about being true to yourself under external pressure. Cisgender and heterosexual children have a vast array of stories that reflect themselves and their joy. Queer kids deserve the same.

And the fact that this story features a Latino child makes it all the more incredible. White cis-het kids (specifically male) feature in the vast majority of children’s literature. The numbers are bleak and depressing. And while queer kids need representation in stories- not all folks who reside on the LGBTQ2SA spectrum are white. Obviously. So when you’re looking for two categories already underrepresented (queer children and children of colour) to be represented in the same space, in one child- well. It’s like finding trying to find a unicorn. Or, in this case, a mermaid.

I’d love to hear what you all thought of this book, and what it meant to you or your own gender non-conforming little ones. (And for those who are as obsessed with these boy mermaid nesting dolls- here’s the link to the store!)

(A note about the word queer: Queer is, much like many colloquial terms, one that is slowly being reclaimed by folks on the LGBTQ2S+ spectrum, to mean a variety of different things. Some folks, particularly those of older generations who remember it being a slur, are not comfortable with it. I am a millennial, I love the word queer, and am happy to continue using it and reclaiming it to describe myself and my friends. I use the word queer because while pansexual- being attracted to folks of any or no gender- is technically the most accurate description of my sexuality, it doesn’t feel right to me. I wouldn’t use pansexual to describe myself. It doesn’t fit. Queer does. But what’s acceptable to me, may not be to another. Just like other groups of people, queer folks are not a monolith. Ask. Respect people’s identities and words for them. Words matter. )

A couple days ago was July 1st (Canada Day) and tomorrow will be July 4th (Independence Day in the US), so I thought I'd take some time to go over some really lovely books by a variety of First Nations and Native American authors and illustrators, as now is as good a time as any throughout the year to remember that the history of these two nations spans farther back than we often acknowledge, and that we, as educators for peace, and hopefully as just decent humans, should spend far more time than we do bringing authentic Indigenous voices and representations into our classrooms and homes. Remember that Indigenous culture is not monolith; seek out representations from a variety of tribes; find out about the land your class is on, and the languages spoken in your region; support Indigenous artisans and respect Indigenous storytellers. Invite elders to your classroom. And easiest of all- bring in books. Here are some of my favourites.

We'll start with one of the best books I've read, and one that's wrenching and beautiful and lovely- "Shi-shi-etko" by Nicola I. Campbell, an Interior Salish and Métis author. The new standard by which all children's books about the residential school system in Canada will be judged (a government program that lasted over one hundred years and removed approximately 30% of Indigenous children from their families and placed them in schools where they were forbidden from speaking their own languages; practicing their own religions; and attempted to 'take the Indian out of the child' and assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture), "Shi-shi-etko" follows one young girl in the days before she is taken away for her first year at the school. She spends time exploring and remembering her home and the nature that surrounds her, with her parents and grandmother giving her stories and memories to hold onto while she is away. The story touches on the residential school system in a way that is accessible and understandable for very young children (I have read this in my preschool class) without going into the horrors that occurred. Everyone who teaches (particularly in Canada, but variations of the school system occurred in other countries, including the US and Australia) should have this book in their library.

After writing "Shi-shi-etko" and its sequel "Shin-Chi's Canoe", Nicola I. Campbell's latest book is much happier and a lovely example of a book that features First Nations children just being children- always important. "Grandpa's Girls" is a charming story based on her own childhood memories of visiting her grandfather's farm in the summer. I love it not only for it's representation of children being children- exploring, playing, running through fields, sneaking candy- but also for including grandparents, which is surprisingly rare in children's literature. This intergenerational story is delightful and definitely not as heavy as her previous works.

"Owls See Clearly at Night" by Métis author and illustrator Julie Flett is a spare and minimalist alphabet book, featuring words from the Michif language- the language of the Métis people. Michif combines Cree and French, and the language is disappearing. Flett's illustrations depict not only things recognizably First Nations- like bannock or moccasins- but also things such as the word for 'he/she is picking berries' and 'water'. It's a beautiful collection. (Some of Flett's other gorgeous works include two of my favourite board books for Noora- "My Heart Fills With Happiness" and "Little You", both of which she illustrated).

"The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story" by award-winning Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac, is a lovely version of the Cherokee legend explaining how strawberries came to be in the world. There's not much to say about it- it's short, beautiful, and sweet and has been read and re-read in my classroom for years (this is actually my second copy of it, the first, like a later book on this list, wore out from enthusiastic and enchanted young readers).

"The Two Sisters" by Mohawk and English-Canadian poet Pauline Johnson is lovingly revamped and modernly illustrated for a new generation. Johnson, an iconic Canadian poet and writer originally published this story (told to her by Squamish Chief Joe Capilano) in a book called "Legends of Vancouver" in 1911. This is the first time the story has been published on its own and illustrated. It describes the creation of the Two Sisters, known colloquially in Vancouver as the lions, the mountains on the North Shore overlooking the city of Vancouver. A unique, and gorgeous pastel palette bring the creation story to life. This beautiful book is a must for Canadian classrooms, especially for those in BC. (It only appears to be available in the Canadian Amazon, and I have yet to find it in the US).

"The Elders Are Watching" by poet David Bouchard and illustrated by famed First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers is an absolutely stunning plea to readers to be careful of our environment, and to protect it. Vickers, who has Haida, Heiltsuk, and Tsimshian ancestry, has a unique style incorporating different elements from the artistic traditions of his mixed heritage. The message of the book is just as relevant today as it was when originally published, and it has been a favourite in classrooms across the world. I can't recommend it highly enough.

"Alego" by Inuit artist and author Ningeokuluk Teevee is a charming tale of a girl and her grandmother going to the beach and digging for clams and searching tidal pools for animals. Children are always intrigued by the idea that the far north has starfish and tidal pools like we have down south, and the pencil illustrations are unique and pretty. The book is told in both English and Inuktitut- an official language of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, and spoken throughout the entire northern part of the country. This small book is a sweet introduction to life up north.

"Thunderboy Jr." by famed Spokane-Coeur d'Alene author Sherman Alexie is one of my absolute favourite picture books, regardless of theme or topic. A little boy on the hunt for his own name, and not just his father's, the book is funny, sweet, gorgeous and a delight to read. A perpetual favourite in my class since it was first published, "Thunderboy Jr.," is a modern classic, and should be in every school or home.

"Sometimes I Feel Like A Fox" by Métis artist Danielle Daniel is perfect. The story originally came to be as a series of paintings Daniel did to help her child connect to his roots, the book introduces children to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals. Each animal is depicted as a child in costume and has a short description. There is an author's note at the back explaining the tradition of totem animals and the significance of them. The book is absolutely enchanting and every person I've given it to- child or adult- has loved it.

"Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: A Native American Year of Moons" by celebrated and award winning Indigenous author Joseph Bruchac (of "The First Strawberries" fame) and Jonathan London, is the other book that I have had to replace in my classroom from being over-loved. A collection of poems, each one focusing on a different moon and it's name and meaning to a particular tribe. Following the cycle of a year, the poems are lovely, and it's rare to find a book that incorporates so many different tribes (including Lakota Sioux, Menominee, Huron, Northern Cheyenne and more) while making it clear that each are separate and distinct. It's beautiful, and the painted illustrations are as well. A classic (and for damn good reason), "Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back" is a must for any classroom.

I noticed I've done a lot of book posts lately, so I thought I'd step back and talk about Montessori at home again. As Noora is now 16 months, fully mobile and into everything, she's everywhere and in everything. And as I was looking for ideas for her, I realized that every other blog I've seen features huge houses, large spaces, and a seemingly endless supply of rotating toys.

So let's talk about that. Firstly- there is no such thing as a Montessori toy. Maria Montessori created beautiful educational materials for classrooms. She did not create toys. There are certainly lovely toys out there that follow Montessori principles and ideals- natural, open ended, and beautiful- but there is no magical Montessori toy that will make your playroom suddenly 'Montessori'. Children don't need excessive amounts of toys. They don't require a shelf of themed activities to be rotated out every five weeks- that creates more stuff, more things to buy, and more competition to be the best Pinterest mum.

You also don't need the huge, beautiful house with separate play areas in the basement with a playroom off the kitchen, a media room, huge and airy bedrooms, and a backyard on par with a field. I don't have any of that. I have a tiny townhouse under a thousand square feet, in a co-op, in one of the most expensive cities on the planet to live in. I'm lucky to have the space I do, but I certainly don't have vast spaces for Noora. And yet- Montessori we do. So, let's look at those spaces, shall we?

This is my view from the front door. Straight hallway (dining room has the board game shelf), tiny galley kitchen in the middle, and then living area in the back. Stairs up to the bedrooms and the one bathroom. (Yes, that is a tiny dog, and yes, the only space I have to store our hiking carrier is my hallway.) We're working on a hook and basket set up for Noora's shoes and coat under the whiteboard, but as you can see, we have a small space to work with.

One side of the living room. The table is an old IKEA one that worked out perfectly as I can contain a few toys, and my laptop.

Yes, that is a dog butt.

The dogs are great for cleaning up Noora messes.

This is my whole living area. As you can see, it's small. We have a couch, an armchair (behind which are Noora's big, big climbing blocks, and an IKEA tunnel), and shelving. The tv shelf has a few spaces for Noora- currently a rainbow puzzle she likes, a basket of blocks, a basketofmusical instruments, and a Melissa and Doug house with keys that she's obsessed with. She has some stacking cups, Schleich animals, nuts and bolts, and a basket of books. That's it. The toys we have chosen for her are high quality, durable, mostly open-ended (the nuts and bolts, and the key house aren't entirely, but there's plenty of space for exploration within their intended purpose). She has the walker wagon that helped her with walking when she was first starting, and now she likes to push the dogs in it (you can imagine their excitement) or stacks of books. As you can see, there's a bookcase full of my Montessori work things- albums, card making materials, printer, laminator, etc. Again, we have no space for a separate office for me, so it stays neatly in place here. The shelf of books on the tv shelf are books that I am reviewing, about to review and old favourites of nieces and nephews and other children who are often at our house.

We don't have a big enough space to allow for entirely separate kid areas- Noora's things are integrated into most of the house. But we don't let them take over, and I think that children do best with limited toys anyways. Limiting things promotes creativity, concentration and focus. She doesn't need a constant rotation of toys to be content. She has quality toys that will last and that she can use for a multitude of purposes.

One of my favourite areas of the entire house.

Noora doing dishes.

We have the IKEA kitchen that seems to be the Montessori standard (we did not put the top on it) and a child size table and chairs cut down to weaning table height. The Grimm's stacker was a gift from my lovely pals at Westside Montessori here in Vancouver. Noora eats most of her meals here, and does dishes (to the degree that a 16 month old can). Her dishes are stored in the kitchen, and accessible to her. Our kitchen is too tiny to fit a learning tower, as many Montessori homes have, and so we've elected to have her food area in a corner of our living room. We've created a space that allows for her own independence and Noora loves getting her own plates and doing dishes. Remember, children want to be grown up. More than anything. Create spaces that allow them to do work like we do, and they'll be happy.

Right up the stairs- Noora's playroom (a converted storage closet), the bookcase where I store our board books, and then Noora's bedroom (next to the bookcase), and the bathroom (the big closed door). Our bedroom is across from Noora's.

The playroom was a large, walk in storage closet at the top of our stairs. We didn't need it for storage, so it became the perfect tiny space for Noora's play area.

The upstairs is just as small, but the space is just perfect for what we need. The playroom is a storage closet we converted- we placed down one of those foam mats, added a Kallax IKEA shelf, and a basket for her collection of balls. There's a lovely busy board her grandfather made (he also made the toddler balance beam in the living room). The large containers at the back are full of Montessori classroom materials I've made that I'm storing while on maternity leave. Eventually she'll have a dollhouse there (a lovely hand-me-down from her cousin that is currently being stored at her grandparent's house until she's old enough for it). This is her main space. It's small, but it works. She doesn't need more toys than what we can store here, and it also helps us to keep her toys limited- we have no space for them anyways!

Her very small bedroom.

The room from the other side.

Her bedroom is also small, and as we have very little space, she does have toys and things here because there's no room anywhere else. She gets four spaces in her shelving unit for toys, and usually her current favourites are here. (The bucket and poker chips are currently her absolute favourite toy- she spends ages throwing them in and it makes a terrible and loud noise and this is further proof children don't need fancy toys. Poker chips and a metal bucket, folks). Currently those toys include a peg toy, her Schleich horses, a beautiful shape sorter by a First Nations artist, and construction vehicles. She has a gorgeous front facing bookcase that was the big gift from her grandparents for her first birthday. There's the IKEA wardrobe made out of a 2x2 Kallax cube, and her crib. (Yes, we have a crib. I wrote a whole post about the trauma that was a floor bed for us. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. And that's okay.) There's a toy box to house all the stuffies that you inevitably get when you have a child (and some of them are my old lovies from my childhood I can't part with). There's not much, as you can see.

Closet storage.

This is her closet. The three boxes hold clothes (ones that are currently too big, accessories like hats, and out of season ones like snowsuits. The middle shelf are all her other toys we rotate. There are a couple puzzles, stackers and Schleich animals. That's it. Those and the toys in the other pictures are all she has. Then her diapers are up top. (No, we don't cloth diaper. I'm a terrible Montessori and a terrible green mother).

The bathroom and hallway. See how small it is?

Finally, for Noora's spaces, there is her space in the bathroom. She has a potty, a basket of bathroom related books, and a mirror and diapers. We do standing diaper changes, so there are diapers and wipes here. The mirror usually has a hairbrush in front of it, but Noora is walking around with it in this picture. In the hallway, you can see her chalkboard. It was our former key rack and once she became interested in drawing, we moved it up to her room and used a cheap little metal key hook in its place for us.

That's it. Noora has space in most of our rooms- the dining room and kitchen don't have specific things for her, and neither does our bedroom, but everywhere else has her stuff integrated into it. As you can see, our space is small. No big playrooms here. Just small spaces that we have adapted to be appropriate for our Montessori toddler. She doesn't have a ton of toys. We don't rotate them often and I'm certainly not able to financially manage a themed shelf every month or so. And that's okay.

Montessori doesn't require lots of toys, or themes, or big spaces. It requires a willingness to foster independence in your child. To make space for them to learn and explore. To provide areas that are child friendly and accessible. That's it. I'd love to see your small Montessori spaces!

June 20th is World Refugee Day, and given the current state of the world, it's imperative that we instil in our children- at home and in our schools- empathy, understanding and kindness. When millions around the world are displaced, and growing populist movements work to make us fear those who need help and love the most, it's more necessary than ever to show our children the stories of children who aren't just like them. Thankfully, this past year has seen the publication of so many beautiful, heartfelt and touching stories about refugees that are sure to spark conversation and humanize those who are currently feared and maligned. Here are some of my favourites!

The art in this book is absolutely incredible.

"Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey" by Canadian author Margriet Ruurs, and with artwork in stones by Syrian sculptor Nizar Ali Badr, is a beautiful and uniquely work that follows a family as they flee war torn Syria. The story, told in both English and Arabic, is told simply, as the family decides, as bombs start dropping close to home, to leave, and the hardships they face on the way- losing people at sea, leaving behind everything they know, coming to a new country where they don't speak the language. It is a stunning work that deserves to be on every shelf.

This book features photos from the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees

"Where Will I Live" by Rosemary McCarney is a beautiful photographic essay on children refugees around the world. McCarney, Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the U.N., has made a simple and poignant book from the point of view of refugee children in a number of countries, asking questions like, "Will i sleep in the same place each night?" "Will I find friends?" "How will I get there?" The photographs are gorgeous and the thought provoking questions will (hopefully!) inspire lots of empathy amongst children who realize that there are children who have to worry about such things, and what would that feel like.

A lovely adventure story with a happy ending!

"Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey" by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes and illustrated by Sue Cornelian is a fabulous (and true!) story of a cat and his family who became separated on their escape from Mosul, Iraq. The story follows their escape from Iraq to Turkey and eventually to the boat crossing to Greece. Kunkush went missing at the boat landing, and eventually, following a long journey that covers much of Europe, the cat and family are reunited in Norway, where the family had settled.

The authors, Doug and Amy, were both in Greece working with refugees- Amy as a volunteer helping arriving refugees, and Doug as a photojournalist and they were directly responsible for bringing Kunkush back to his family. The story has a touching afterword, as well as photos of the real life Kunkush and his family, and is lovely, beautifully illustrated and charming tale.

One of the most beautifully illustrated books I've seen.

"My Beautiful Birds" by Suzanne Del Rizzo is one of the most beautiful books I've seen in a long time, and features absolutely gorgeous clay and paint illustrations. The story follows a young boy fleeing the Syrian war, who is always thinking of his pet pigeons back home. When they reach a refugee camp, they begin to settle in. The children are given paint and Sami, the little boy, paints his page black and panics, running away. The book lovingly and gently portrays trauma and children dealing with trauma quite well, and eventually Sami finds new birds in the camp, and things start to improve. A delicate, gentle and again, stunning, book, "My Beautiful Birds" is a must have for any class library.

This book is basically perfect.

"The Journey" by Francesca Sanna was the very first book I reviewed in this blog (here!) and my opinion on it hasn't changed. As I said before (and this applies to every single book on this list), the very best of children's literature doesn't shy away from hard topics, but rather deals with them in a non-patronizing way. "The Journey" is a perfect example- following a refugee family's escape from the eyes of a child (on one heart wrenching page that will be familiar to any parent, the child narrates that their mother is never scared, while we see the illustration- the children asleep in her arms, and the mother crying while they cannot see.) This book is perfect and should be on every bookshelf.

I hope that these books help with hard conversations and give your students and children an opportunity to step outside of their lives and gain empathy and understanding for those in difficult circumstances. Given the current political climate, I think books such as these are more necessary than ever. What are some of your favourite stories about refugees and displaced peoples?

(This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you, and helps with purchasing more socially conscious books for reviews for you all!)

Traditionally, Pride Parades are held throughout the month of June around the world (where those who are on the LGBT spectrum are safe to celebrate their identities in public- which, sadly, is still not everywhere, not even close). As it's coming up to June, I'm here with a list of some of my favourite, favourite queer kid's books, and I hope this gives all of you enough time to grab some of these for your homes and classrooms. Remember- teach love. Always.

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman is a gorgeous and preschool-friendly introduction to pride celebrations. The book also features a wonderful reader's guide at the back explaining various terms in the book as well as further details of the history of LGBT movements in the United States. We love this book over here, and it's a beautiful and colourful introduction for even the youngest readers.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer is a sweet, charmingly illustrated story of a young girl with two dads, who is trying to figure out who she can bring to Mother's Day at school. After explaining to friends that she has two dads, she finally decides to bring her whole family- dads, uncle, aunt, grandmother and cousin. The story is a sweet affirmation of the love her father's have for her, and the family that surrounds her. It's lovely.

Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman- one of the most banned children's books of all time, and hugely controversial when it was originally published, this is a new, updated version released for the 20th anniversary last year. Heather is starting school and talking to her new friends about her family, wondering if she's the only one who has a unique family. The teacher decides to have them all draw their own families to show how each family makeup is different- two mums, two dads, a grandma, a single mum, stepparents and more. The book is inclusive, diverse and just great. The updated, fresh version is magnificent and I can't recommend it enough.

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian is one of my favourite books. A sweet love story of two worms who get married, even though everyone keeps telling them that this isn't how things have been done in the past, the book is gentle and cute as heck. Perfect for even very young ones, the story is simple and full of adorable bugs, which is really all one wants in a toddler love story anyways.

King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland is fun and quirkily illustrated and delightful. A prince whose mother wants him to get married is sick of him turning down every princess she brings his way. Finally, he sees the brother of a princess and falls for him, and the two get married and live happily ever after. Colourful, sweet and lovely, there's also a sequel about them adopting a child (King and King and Family).

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino is a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous story of a little boy who loves getting dressed up in a beautiful dress, despite the children telling him that boys can't wear dresses. Stunning illustrations accompany the sweet story, which concludes with Morris being comfortable with himself and his dress choices. His mother in the story is accepting and loving regarding her son's desire to wear dresses, which is lovely to see so explicitly in a children's book. While it isn't explicit that Morris is non-binary or genderqueer or trans, the story of a boy in a dress who learns to accept himself is timely and perfect. One hundred percent recommend.

The Boy and the Bindi by Vivek Shraya is a lovely story about a little boy who thinks his mother's bindi is beautiful and wants one for himself. She happily gives him one, rather than trying to repress that interest. He learns about the history of the bindi and its significance to his culture, and becomes more comfortable with his own self through this connection to his culture and mother. It's gorgeous, features a child of colour (super rare in LGBTQ kid's books!) and is a lovely example of gender norms being gently nudged to the side.

I Am Jazz by Jessica Hershel and Jazz Jennings is one of my all time favourites, has been a staple in my classroom forever and a day, and is written by Jazz herself- the girl who put a face to the concept of trans children to the world at large. Sweet illustrations and a simple story make this a favourite amongst preschool and elementary teachers and i can't recommend it highly enough.

Finally, Who Are You? The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pessin-Whedbee came out in December of last year and is my new obsession. A book written for children (and this is written in such a straightforward and simple way that it can easily be read to preschoolers) that explains the variety of gender identities and how people can define themselves and the ways in which people identify, I am so, so, so happy that a resource like this finally exists. It's practically perfect and I have recommended it to pretty much everyone I know on my teacher friend's list. Buy it.

I know this was a long list, but i'm hoping it gets people moving to incorporate LGBTQ books in your children's spaces- representation matters in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity as well as in race and religion. I'm definitely hoping for more books about LGBTQ families and children of colour- but we already know racial disparities in children's literature are vast. I'm working on finding more, but in the meantime, these, though fairly white-centred, are still beautiful representations of queerness and would be excellent additions to any bookshelf.

We are coming up to Ramadan, which falls during the actual school year for the first time in awhile, and I'm hoping that means there will lots of amazing conversations happening with your students about the world's second largest religion, its history, and the people who follow it.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning.

"Night of the Moon" by Hena Khan is a lovely story that follows a young girl celebrating Ramadan, covering how the Islamic calendar is lunar and the celebration follows the phases of the moon. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and are styled along the lines of Islamic tile art. The book is a joy to read and a lovely introduction to the holiday.

This longer story is a wonderful introduction to the spread of Islam

"The Amazing Travels of Ibn Battuta" by Fatima Sharafeddine is a lovely, longer picture book that follows the adventures of one of the most famed travellers in history- a Muslim Berber from Tangier who explored much of Africa, the Middle East and Asia during the 14th century. It's a gorgeously illustrated and detailed introduction to an explorer who isn't given enough attention in our history books.

The illustrations are gilded and just stunning.

"The Conference of the Birds" by Alexis York Lumbard is one of the most gorgeously illustrated children's books I've seen in a long time. A lavish, gilded retelling of a masterpiece by celebrated Persian Muslim poet Attar of Nishapur, the book brings classical Islamic literature to life for modern children. The poem tells the story of a pilgramage undertaken by birds to visit King Simorgh the Wise, who lives atop a mountain. Along the way, the birds overcome spiritual obstacles on the way to meet their king. The poem is lovely, the illustrations even more so, and every child I've read it to so far has been enchanted by it.

The muted illustrations are a perfect complement to the story.

"The Camel In The Sun" by Griffin Ondaatje is a beautiful, quiet retelling of a traditional hadith (an account of the words of the Prophet). The story follows a camel who has a cruel owner who pushes him to exhaustion regularly, and does not take care of nor shows respect for the creature. One day, they arrive in Medina, where the Prophet lives, and the camel is tied up in the hot sun once again. The Prophet recognizes the animal's suffering and leads the cruel owner to empathize with the camel and change his ways. The illustrations are beautiful and respectfully do not depict the Prophet Muhammad, as per Islamic traditions. It is a lovely and peaceful story that would be a wonderful addition to any library.

I love everything about this book.

"Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors" by Hena Khan is one I've spoken of before on my Instagram, but it is worth repeating. This book is a tried and true favourite in my classroom, and has been since I introduced it when it was first published. The lush illustrations follow a girl throughout her day as she introduces colors to her audience- blue for the hijab her mother wears; brown for the dates she eats to break the Ramadan fast; red for the mat her father kneels on to pray; and so on. It's beautiful, simple, and sweet, and is one of my favourite color books (and I have a bit of an obsession with color books).

I love the illustrations in this book- colorful and happy.

"Deep in the Sahara" by Kelly Cunnane is a beautiful book that follows a young girl in the African country of Mauritania as she asks her female relatives when she gets to wear a malafa (the covering women of age wear for modesty in the country) as they do. The author wrote it after living in the country for a year- she explains in a charming note at the end that spending time in the country and getting to know the people and the religion made her realize that wearing the veil isn't an inherently repressive act. I love that the story was inspired by this- imagine what change we could see in the world if we all took the time to talk, learn and change our minds once in a while? This book is bright, happy, and an introduction to Muslims outside of the Middle East, which is another bonus. I absolutely recommend it.

There are so many beautiful books out there now to introduce children to the diversity and beauty of the Islamic world, and I hope that you find some books on this list to share with your students for Ramadan (which starts May 26th this year!)

What are your favourite books featuring Muslim characters in your classroom or home?

A couple weeks ago, two of my very favourite people got married. (Yes, to each other). They live in California, and so we had a wonderful very brief weekend away to watch the nuptials and to see friends who are basically family (don't you love when that happens?) and that meant travelling with a young toddler.

This kid loves airplanes.

Noora's first flight occurred when she was only a few months old, not mobile, and she (blissfully) slept through almost all of both legs of the journey. This time around, we were faced with 4 flights in 4 days with a 13 month old- a very wriggly, gross-motor obsessed 13 month old- and I'm not going to lie, I was a bundle of nerves about the whole thing. So, I did what I usually do, which is to completely geek out and I made a little California travelling kit for our little one, full of activities to keep her entertained on planes and in airports. And it worked! (Mostly). All of these were simple, easy, California-inspired materials that anyone can make or apply to really anywhere you'd travel.

Noora carried these cards (and also licked them and tried to eat them) all over the house for days before our adventure.

The first thing I did, even before we travelled, was to make a set of cards of the people we were staying with. Noora is pretty good with people- she's a super social baby- but this would be a lot of concentrated time with people who aren't familiar to her, so I wanted to do what I could to at least make her familiar with them. I printed pictures on cardstock, laminated them, and cut them. She loved these cards, and I would love to believe one of the reasons she was so cool with everyone was because she even vaguely recognized them. I kept them out and used them with her for just over a week before our travels.

These were definitely the favourite California activity (after the face photos!)

This shell activity was super simple- I got this Safari Toob of shells and then a small plastic craft bottle, some craft sand and shells. I put the tiny shells (I got mine in a bag at Michael's) and the sand in the bottle, sealed it with glue, and she had a beach-themed shaker and sensorial bottle to play with for the flight. The toy shells we used in the tub at the hotel (and with a net that I forgot to take a picture of and then left in said hotel, because I'm clever that way). She was a huge fan of these and I think I'll be making many more baby sensorial bottles as time goes by.

Classy hotel floor picture!

Next, we had another Safari Toob- this one sea creatures (I removed the penguin, sperm whale, and hammerhead shark) and matching cards. Noora loves animal figurines and matching them to the cards is a new addition to her exploration of them. She wasn't entirely sure of the matching aspect- it was pretty hit or miss, though she seemed to get at least the starfish, humpback whale and octopus consistently. But she did try, and she was able to point to the animal figurines on the plane as I gave her the names- animals of any kind are a guaranteed way to occupy this kid.

Noora absolutely knew avocado and grapes- two of her favourite foods!

We also had these cards just for vocabulary and interest. I printed off pictures of California symbols- like the avocado, grey whale, redwoods, etc.,- and showed them to her a few at a time. This was a great activity for the plane as it was quiet and didn't include tiny figures she could hurl across the aisle! (As happened with the shells before I took them away and only let her use the bottle. To be fair- it was 6 in the morning and she'd been up since 4). I love making picture cards for vocabulary building and Noora is definitely used to this activity with me, so it was a familiar one for her.

These books were all fabulous.

Finally- BOOKS! What would a trip be without any books?? We got three California board books for our book loving girl, and they were all delightful. First- San Francisco: A Book of Numbers by Ashley Evanson, which is a lovely counting book and I think my favourite of the ones we purchased. Then we had All Aboard! California: A Landscape Primer by Haily and Kevin Meyers, which was a cute overview of a variety of California landscapes, including deserts, cities, redwoods, vineyards, etc. To round them out, we also had 123 California: A Cool Counting Book by Puck, and honestly, it had gorgeous and bold, graphic illustrations but it was really very short, and had no words (just a number on each page) and Noora lost interest in it fairly soon. I think it would have been better if she'd been a bit younger.

That's it! A few simple activities in ziplock bags, a few books, and a hotel bathtub and Noora was pretty content during most of our trip. What activities do you prepare or do with your children when you travel? We have several trips coming up this year so I'd love to hear what others do!

One of the things we were adamant about when we had Noora was that we would provide as many different toys, books and cultural experiences as we could for her. Our world is an increasingly fractured and partisan place, and one of the things that we wanted to instill in our daughter was open-mindedness, love and inclusiveness.

But how does one start the process, with a toddler? I teach 3-6 and I can talk about race with preschoolers and elementary children without much of a problem. I know those conversations, and while sometimes hard, I can handle them. Teaching inclusivity to a one year old, on the other hand, was totally foreign to me. And still, so important. We know that children begin to recognize and internalize racial differences as early as two- so how do we promote cultural diversity, acceptance and awareness early enough to help make a difference?

Thankfully, it doesn't even have to be that hard. One year olds aren't sitting for a complicated chat about implicit biases or systemic racism or police brutality. But they will sit and look at books with you. Or play with dolls and other toys. Or see art on your walls and in their rooms. So. Let's talk about ways to introduce diversity into your home.

1) Books! So many books! When choosing books for your child, make a conscious effort to include books featuring children that aren't white. Children's books are well known for a lack of diversity but it's getting better every month, and there are great board books out there featuring children of colour.

Look for books by Black, Latinx and Indigenous authors and pick books that have a variety of cultures, religions and people represented. Some of our current favourites are pictured below: including Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children (as it is a universal rule babies love to look at pictures of other babies and children, no matter skin colour!); Learn the Alphabet with Northwest Coast Native Art (actually all the board books from this store are gorgeous and all illustrated and written by Pacific Northwest First Nations artists); First Book of Sushi (all the world food books in this series are delightful); and Sweetest Kulu (an Inuit lullaby).

Other excellent examples of board books featuring children of colour are Whose Toes Are Those; Please, Baby, Please (a book I can now recite by heart because it makes Noora laugh every time and I'm a sucker for her laugh); Lola at the Library; and More, More, More, Said the Baby. I'm always looking for more books, and if you have any recommendations for board books featuring Asian, Muslim, or Latinx characters specifically, I'd love to hear about them! (It's increasingly easy to find books featuring Black children- less so other children of colour).

2) Toys! I have a major obsession with peg dolls in particular, but this can be applied to any doll toy. Pick the one that doesn't have white skin. When you're grabbing that action figure or Barbie off the shelf- pick one with brown skin instead. At this age, because toddlers aren't going to have a racial dialogue with you, what matters is the exposure to different races and being comfortable with diversity.

I have these gorgeous peg doll sets thrown in with other toys- a casual and conscious choice we made to include toys featuring people of colour and of different religions. The beautiful Muslim dolls in the first picture are from this fantastic store on Etsy; and the wonderful multicultural career peg dolls are from this equally fantastic store, also on Etsy.

Seriously, how adorable are these dolls?

I also made matching cards for this set for when Noora is a teensy bit older.

Or this toy, featured in a previous post, and one of my all time favourites. Designed by a prominent BC First Nations artisan, the shape sorter is a simple, easy way to bring in Indigenous art into Noora's world without being culturally appropriative. Look for toys made by artists and designers of colour and support independent women and minority run businesses while you're at it! Everyone wins!

This is probably the most beautiful shape-sorter I've ever seen.

Finally, and of course I don't have a picture off hand because I decided to write this while Noora is asleep and that means no going into her room, but have pictures and art up that depicts a variety of people and cultures. Surround your children with books, art, food and toys that represent the vast and amazing spectrum of humanity and it will help lay the groundwork for future acceptance, understanding and inclusivity.

Colour-blindness is not an option- it supports those with racial privilege and not those who are oppressed. It's easy to get anxious about talking about race (and don't worry, when we get to that point, I'll have more to say about those conversations!!!) but for toddlers and babies, you don't need to fret. It's as simple as picking some books and toys and adding them into your rotation. Raising this upcoming generation to do better than the status quo and to be more kind and inclusive than the world currently is requires conscious choices on our part- choices of representation and inclusion in our children's lives. And while that's not always easy, this is the easiest way to start.

Let me know other ways you've brought diversity into your homes for your young children in the comments!

Noora is fully into young toddlerhood, and so we've changed around the materials on her shelf in her playroom again to suit her needs. Her current obsession is dumping things and putting things into other things, and from what I've gathered, this is about standard for her age. So. What do we have on our shelves to allow her to do these things?

(As mentioned before, we have one main playspace for Noora, and that's in this room, where the majority of her toys are kept. She has some toys in the living room and in her bedroom, but this where most of her playtime is spent).

I cannot tell you how much I love the Kallax line at IKEA.

1) Pop Up Toy: This toy is a perennial favourite in homes and Montessori classrooms, for good reason. The best $12 you can spend- Noora loves it and is just beginning to figure out how to make the figures actually pop up and out.

2) Tree stacker: I picked this up at the American Montessori Society conference last week to bring back for missy, and it's been a hit. She isn't close to building it in order of size, but she's been enjoying getting the pieces on and of course, taking them off.

3) Shape sorter: This shape sorter is the most gorgeous one I've found yet, and designed by Bella Bella artist Ben Houstie. Noora loves it, and it's definitely more challenging than some of the earlier ones we had. It's important to me that Noora be exposed to different Indigenous cultures, particularly those within BC, where we live. The company Native Northwest (which only carries pieces made and designed by indigenous artists and designers of the Pacific Northwest) has amazing options on their site that make it super easy to find beautiful materials that aren't culturally appropriative and that support local artisans and authors.

I seriously love this shape sorter. More than I can say.

4) Montessori Coin Box: This was given to Noora by one of my dear friends for her 1st birthday, and it quickly became one of her favourites. She's finally figured out how to retrieve them from the drawer and that's made it even more fun- though she sometimes only wants to open and close the drawer over and over and over because, well, babies. Ha!

5) Basket of Books: Noora has books available in basically every room of the house, and here is no exception. We aren't as strict about board books as others are- it's one place I deviate from my training. We mostly stick to Montessori ideals- real or realistic images and stories, but I don't mind the odd fairy tale, talking panda or mythology board book. And Star Wars. Of course.

6) Pounding Toy: This was another birthday gift and a definite hit. The hammer that came with it is currently put away- Noora doesn't have quite the coordination down for that yet, and is still enthralled with putting things in and out and so using her hands to put the pegs in and push is perfect for her right now.

7) Mirror blocks: It is no secret that I love block play, and these may be some of my all time favourites. We've only put out three for now, and Noora definitely enjoys looking at them and has even started holding them up to things and looking at them in the reflection. (See the picture at the end of the post to see her playing with them).

And finally, 8) Music Basket: Noora has many musical instruments scattered throughout the house, including claves, shakers, a ukulele (under very careful supervision), and a glockenspiel, but this set is currently the winner. Colourful and bright, with a tambourine, maraca and castanet, Noora is totally taken with them (the tambourine is by far the most popular).

(I can't find the entire set on Amazon for some reason -it was another birthday gift and I'm not sure where it was found originally- but the link is to a percussion set with similar pieces and other instruments she definitely enjoys!)

And that's what's on her shelf in her playroom for now. We have a few more peg activities to switch out when she masters some of these easier ones, and I can't wait to see how her work progresses now that she's in young toddler stage and not a little baby anymore. What are your favourite toys for a brand new toddler?

In the past two weeks, several friends of mine have experienced great losses. While talking about this with them, and holding space for their grief, the subject inevitably turned to their children and all the insecurities and concerns about how to make the subject of death a bit more accessible to them.

Enter books. As I went through my storage today to pull out books for a friend's children, books I have used in the past in my own classroom when a beloved member of our community died, (and later with loss in my own family) I realized that this subject comes up constantly in various teacher and parenting groups I belong to. What books are there for children that talk about death? What ones are good? What ones aren't scary? Which ones aren't religious? And so on.

So. In no particular order, my personal favourite five books for preschool/early elementary aged children, all of which deal with death and loss in beautiful, sometimes odd, and accessible ways. I'd love to hear your favourites. This subject is so hard, and so delicate, that we need all the resources we can get.

The illustrations, by Jago, are stunning and a perfect complement to the story.

"Always Remember" by Cece Meng is a beautifully illustrated tale about Old Turtle, who takes his last breath on the first page. The rest of the story is a loving ode to Old Turtle, who taught young turtles to swim; kept humpback whales company; played with otters; helped a manatee escape a net; and more.

Simple, loving and a testament to how those who leave us will always exist in our memories, "Always Remember" tackles the problem of death in a way even young children can connect to, without being heartbreaking or overwhelming for them.

Parr's instantly recognizable and colourful art grace his lovely contribution to death literature for children.

"The Goodbye Book" by Todd Parr is perfect for even the absolute youngest child in your classroom. Without explicitly mentioning death, Parr covers the multitude of feelings a child (or parent) may be experiencing while grieving. Gently letting his audience know that their reactions are all normal, Parr acknowledges how weird it can be- that you can be mad, or not want to eat, or want to hide. While making space for any negative feelings, the book goes on to talk about how eventually, things get easier. Memories become less painful and instead a comfort, and that while we all feel sad when we lose someone, it's easier when we remember how much we loved and were loved by those lost.

I really, really love this book.

"Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way To Explain Death To Children" by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen is fantastic. It's straightforward, compassionate, lovely and a wonderful resource. Going over several animals, plants and ending with people, it covers a standard lifetime and explains in the simplest, starkest terms that a life exists between birth and death and it's the same for all things that are alive. There isn't much more to say, except that this book tops most lists I've seen for straightforward books to talk about death with children and there's a damn good reason for that. It's lovely.

(The only circumstance this wouldn't necessarily be appropriate is in the case of a sudden death, that is not the expected, natural end of one's life).

I love the way Death is personified and depicted in this book.

The last two books are more appropriate for older children- 6 and up. (I have read them to younger children but not much younger, and it would totally be dependent on the child's maturity and personality.)

"Cry, Heart, But Never Break" by Glenn Ringtved is a heart wrenching and beautifully sad story about Death, personified as a sorrowful old man, come to claim a grandmother as she sleeps. Her four grandchildren live with her and try to keep Death at bay, by keeping him busy with them until dawn, when he would have to leave. They ask him why he needs to take their beloved grandmother and he tells them the story of two brothers, Sorrow and Grief, who married two sisters, Delight and Joy. Both couples died on the same day, because one can't exist without the other.

Death goes on to say that life and death are the same- that life is made worthwhile because it has an expiration date. The children recognize the truth in this, and allow him upstairs. This book is stunning, perfectly and exactly as sad as you would expect, and wonderful.

(This was only released last year, so my experience with it and children was not in a classroom but in my own family. I'd check with parents before reading this one in particular. While I don't find the illustrations scary, and the children I've shown this book to haven't either, I think this one is definitely more dependent on the particular child than the other's may be).

I don't have words for how much I adore this book.

"The Flat Rabbit" by Bardur Oskarsson is one of my all time favourite children's books regardless of subject. Bizarre, and quiet, and open-ended, the story follows a dog and a rat as they figure out what to do with a very flat rabbit they find on the side of the road. They don't want to leave her on the road, and they eventually carefully and gently peel her off the street and take her back to the dog's house- where they build a kite. And then attach her to it. (Like I said, the book is bizarre).

But then they take her to the park and start flying. The flat rabbit goes higher and higher and the dog and rat ponder if she's enjoying herself. The book ends there, with the rabbit almost too high for them to see. It's lovely and often brings about a lot of profound conversations and is also hilarious and charming. It really is one of the most odd children's book I've ever read, but, strangely enough, is hands down my most popular 'death book' on the shelves, and when we started removing our death books from our class library after things had settled, this was the one my students begged to keep out. While the subject matter is dark, it's done so with wit and never actually comes across as heavy or sorrowful.

I can't say it enough- the best of children's literature doesn't talk down to their audience. Even in subjects as challenging and heartbreaking as death. None of these books do, and I can't recommend them highly enough. What are your favourites?

It seems to be a standard in classrooms- when we start talking about music and the importance of music to our students, we default to classical. Every preschool and elementary classroom I've ever been in has lovely sets of cards and books and CDs that highlight famous, significant (and almost entirely male and white) classical composers. And while that's certainly an important part of cultural education, and while I'm certainly not going to pretend I don't have an entire unit dedicated to Tchaikovsky and 'The Nutcracker', it shouldn't ever be the be all and end all of musical education.

Even in classrooms I've been in that are conscious of creating diverse and inclusive environments tend to fall apart a bit when it comes to musical education, and defaults back to European masters like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. At most, I've seen some more progressive teachers include some cards about jazz musicians and composers (including Black artists) - also giving the impression that jazz is a bygone historical genre, rather than an evolving and very much current form of music. And that is pretty problematic, because hip hop is a movement that provided a voice for a marginalized community and centres the experience of being Black in America - which matters. We can't keep talking about how representation matters, and ignore representation in music.

So. How can you combat this? Thankfully- pretty easily!!! There is a growing library of books that feature hip hop artists and this one, about the birth of the movement, is pretty significant and also, thankfully, excellent.

The illustrations, by Theodore Taylor III, are fantastic.

"When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop' by Laban Carrick Hill is a longer picture book (I wouldn't read this at story time in one go- I would, however, read it a couple pages at a time over a few days with my kinder students) about Clive Campbell, more popularly known as DJ Kool Herc, the man credited with creating hip hop. The story follows him as he moves from Kingston to the Bronx and starts going to neighbourhood parties with his mother. One day, his father buys a sound system with huge speakers that don't work, and Kool Herc spends days fiddling and "plugging things into other things, until one day the sound was BIG."

All he wanted to be was a DJ, and so he throws his own party with his sister, and officially becomes known to the world as DJ Kool Herc. He recognized that dancers were most active during the breaks in songs when lyrics ended, and so he set up two turntables so that when one record ended a break, he could flip to the other and play it again. He made breaks last for minutes, allowing dancers to really get moving. He brought in talented friends of his to rap over his DJing, and eventually gathered a crew of people he called MC's (Masters of Ceremony- as they toasted and acknowledged dancers and others during the breaks of the songs), and eventually they became known as the Herculoids. Soon, hip hop moved beyond the Bronx, to the rest of NYC, and started influencing music and culture across the nation.

DJ Kool Herc also is credited with the creation of the name breakdancing, which he applied to the dancers who danced the breaks.

As the author writes in the historical notes and timeline at the end- "Hip hops rhythms, raps and its sense of play...have also become the background score for the twenty-first century." Representation should matter in all areas of our classroom, not just on our bookshelves or in our geography areas.

While it may seem hard to introduce music that is, admittedly, often full of profanities and references to violence, there are ways to do it. Using censored radio edits in elementary classrooms, along with discussions on how some words are not necessarily appropriate for school would be one way. Using short excerpts from particular artists is another- Kendrick Lamar, Gift of Gab, Binary Star, Aesop Rock, Busta Rhymes, and Missy Elliott is a brief and very random sampler list of artists who have songs that you can (relatively) easily find non-profane excerpts from. You could even include in our beloved poetry folders pieces by Tupac, who is arguably one of the 20th century's greatest poets.

Last year, at this time, I was (finally) asleep/unconscious after (finally) getting an epidural. It was a Tuesday morning, and I had been in the hospital since Saturday afternoon.

That Saturday, I had been shopping for a car seat with my doula and my sister- I had had a scare that week and had almost required a c-section almost 7 weeks early. For some reason, my main concern at the hospital had been that I had no car seat and therefore no way to get a baby back to my house (obviously it's not as though my folks, sister, in-laws, best friends, whoever couldn't have picked one up. Pregnancy brain is real, y'all).

After shopping, I stopped at Starbucks and picked up a venti caramel frappucino, as all responsible diabetics who are 7.5 months pregnant and on insulin do, because I was sick and tired of not eating or drinking anything fun (I was severely sick throughout my entire, high-risk pregnancy and on a very limited diet- i.e. white bread and pasta, basically). I drank it down, went home, and felt dizzy. I assumed my sugars would be off the charts- a venti frap is basically pure sugar- but to my surprise, they were hovering just under the 2 mark and I thought I was going to pass out.

Both my midwife and the endocrinologist told me to get to the hospital ASAP and bring a bag with clothes because I wasn't going anywhere. So, my husband and I headed out. At the hospital, it was decided I would be induced- my sugars weren't getting back up- and because of my high risk status, they kept me in the hospital.

Day 3 in the hospital- my sister taking the time to capture the moment.

I paced the hallways of the hospital with my doulas (I had a doula-in-training observing so I got 2 lovely women with me through basically the whole thing). Apparently, as my response to stress has traditionally been to shop, I kept that up, and during contractions, I would buy something 'for the baby'. I was fairly alarmed, after Noora's birth, to discover the vast number of emails I had from Etsy congratulating me on my recent purchases. I received hipster, organic baby things for MONTHS afterwards.

The phone with which I purchased all of Etsy's baby department, apparently.

We had visitors- according to photos and other people telling me. I have no major memories of the four days I spent being induced, except that I was pissed off that every meal seemed to include fish, which made me sick, and that I was in pain.

I don't have much of a traditional 'birth story' for y'all. I have some pictures, taken by my sister and my doula. I have a four day experience in the hospital that included proposing and declaring my eternal love to an anesthesiologist whose name I don't remember. I remember being grateful for the midwives from the birth program I was in- even though I had been transferred to the care of an obstetrician once admitted because of my high risk status, they didn't leave me. I remember crying and vomiting in pain and was ready to say fuck it, let's do a c-section, make this stop, when they told me I was starting to dilate and could finally get an epidural and sleep. Finally.

I don't think birth is magical. I think it is supremely badass and powerful and kind of disgusting and scary and overwhelming and gross and hardcore and astonishing. I'm proud of myself for getting through it. I'm grateful to medical science for helping me stay alive during what was a hellish pregnancy and delivery. I'm thankful for my husband and doulas, who were nearly as tired and worn out as I was and still managed to keep my spirits up.

In less than 6 hours, I'll have a one year old. And I will post about my girl and how my world changed and how she became the centre of it. But this time last year, I was still in labour and I wanted to talk about that for a bit. All my fellow mamas out there who did this badass, amazing thing, whether naturally, in a pool of water, with your hair mermaid perfect, or ugly crying in a hospital bed, or doped up like I was finally- so much so that the pushing was the least awful part of the whole damn thing, or by caesarean, or any other way you can think of, because this birth thing is hardcore and proof positive of female strength and power- you rock. You did the thing. And so did I.

Another Kallax shelf from IKEA- I love this line for basically every child storage need I have.

Noora has a small bedroom (though not as small as her repurposed storage closet-playroom!) as we have a small townhouse here in Vancouver. While many Montessorians advocate for nothing but self-care (dressing, hairbrushing, etc.) and sleeping in a child's bedroom, we have limited space and I'm okay with her having a very limited number of toys in her room to play with.

We have yet another Kallax shelf in her room- this one only with 4 cubes and one level. Above the shelf, at child level is an animal cross stitch my grandmother made for my sister when we were children and that my sister passed on to Noora.

Here's what's on her shelf:

We love these odd and awesome blocks.

1) Story Blocks: I am a huge fan of block play, and Noora has multiple sets of blocks in various baskets throughout our house. These gorgeous blocks were a Christmas gift from one of her grandmothers. They feature different pictures on either side, all either faces (animal and human) or legs (again, animal or human). When she's older, I'm sure she'll be interested in making weird and wonderful combos but for now she loves the black and white images and spends lots of time just looking at them (and trying to chew them- like everything else in her life).

The best drum.

2) Wooden Drum: This drum is one of Noora's absolute favourites and has yet to be rotated out of her toy selection. She still shows interest in it daily. The drum is beautiful, sturdy and not an irritating 'kids toy instrument'. It sounds lovely and Noora has been into it since about 9 months. Unfortunately, it seems to be on the way to being discontinued, so get it while you can!

Noora's dad's favourite toy :)

3) Car Racer Track: This is certainly her father's favourite toy, and Noora started getting into it herself just a couple of weeks ago. The size is perfect and we've stored the small cars in a wooden container. She has just started putting the cars on the top track herself and the wooden vehicles make a very fun noise as they go down the track. I'm excited to see as her grip and coordination develops and she can place them properly consistently.

A Montessori classic.

4) Object Permanence Box: This is a standard Montessori infant material, and one Noora loves. On my Instagram, there's a video of her a couple months ago from when she first really 'got' it- you can see her tracking the ball as it comes out of the box and it's such a lovely moment. There are more permanence boxes, but Noora loves this one and hasn't yet been bored of it, so it's here to stay for awhile.

And that's it. On top of the shelf we have a diffuser for oils (I have some major hippie tendencies when it comes to scent and mood) and my all time, number one life-saving baby device- our sound machine. That little machine along with the crib helped restore Noora's sleep, and it was the best $20 I have ever spent. What's on your shelves in your baby's room?